A garage is a busy place with tools, automobiles, spares, wrenches, and cans of oil. Despite the business, a little organization gives quicker access to materials and tools that help solve your clients’ urgent issues, while having your peace of mind.
Proper drill bit storage ensures faster identification in terms of bit sizes and diameters and saves the energy of having to turn boxes around while looking for that one viable bit.
Drill bits are made of high-speed steel with other metal alloy combinations. Therefore, they require a cool and dry environment to avoid reactions that may interfere with their coating properties. There are several ways to organize your bits. But before that, let’s see why bit storage is important.
Why Organize Your Drill Bits
Some of the drill bits wear out over time. Others need to be sharpened while a certain bit set is still untouched. You cannot keep them altogether, right? Here is why you shouldn’t clutter them in a single box.
1. Ease of identification
Bit sizes and diameters vary. Manufacturers pack the bits in plastic or metal cases with proper indexing to avoid confusion.
2. Accessibility
When you stack your bits in a single container or close to your drills and drill presses, retrieval becomes easy. It saves you time for searching assuming you don’t have a specific place to keep them.
3. To avoid loses
Improper tool storage may lead to breakages and tool misplacement. Drill bits have special tips and exposure to an open environment may lead to tip breakages and corrosion.
4. To avoid injuries
When your sharp tools lie around in mixed containers, you risk being injured. A few scratches in a single day can ruin a whole working day.
See, it’s a lot better to keep your working place in order as it is your office, and spending the rest of the day here, you need some sanity. Now, let’s look at the various ways to store drill bits.
Methods of Drill Bit Storage
Depending on drill bit sizes and diameters; you may have to devise ways to keep your drill bits safe. You may need drill bit storage boxes, drawers, trays, cabinets amongst other methods to ensure easy retrieval. Here are some of the ways on how to store drill bits.
Plastic case and metal drill bit index cases
You can get this storage and carrying cases straight from the manufacturer’s store. If you get a stable one, you should keep it in closed cabinets for easy access.
Magnetic base bit holders
The holders have various drill bit index markings for quick identification. However, the magnetized bottom ensures that the bits remain in position without dropping or getting lost.
Besides, you may need to demagnetize your drills if you are using this method as they start to attract screws and metal filings due to magnetization.
Holding trays
These can be hand-made or tailored by specific manufacturers. The trays are then stacked in cabinets and drawers for easy access.
Bit holder containers
These can be either plastic or metallic with medium to large storage holes. The containers ensure that you can store large drill bits without worrying about them rolling off. They keep the drill bits in a standing position.
Foam insulation
This is a method of drill bit wall storage where you can use sticky plywood with Styrofoam insulation glue so that all you have to is stick your drill bits and other sharp materials. It looks like a bull’s eye and your bits stick for as long as the glue remains strong.
Lastly, you can make drill bit storage cabinets and drawers to keep open places orderly and neat. These can store other tools other than your bits. You can also oil your bits to avoid an accumulation of moisture and dust. Oiling should keep your bits from rusting.
Conclusion
Drill bit organization leaves your working area looking neat, safe, and orderly. Most importantly, you have easy tool retrieval hence saves time while making identification simple and straightforward. Check out some of these methods of bit storage and make sure that you keep your drill bits safe and accessible.